


Game On

by grumpyphoenix



Series: Various Bangs [19]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angel in the Machine, Animated GIFs, Brothers Can Be Dicks, Gen, M/M, Soul Sharing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23321281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpyphoenix/pseuds/grumpyphoenix
Summary: On a whim, Dean Winchester buys a strange, old-style gaming console at a flea market with a game left inside it. From the sketchy blond guy with the lollipop who sold it to him, to the strange glowing runes on the side, something weird is going on.Soon, Dean is dedicated to beating the game to break the strange creature trapped within: An angel named Castiel.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Various Bangs [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1296632
Comments: 40
Kudos: 251
Collections: Dean/Cas Reverse Bang 2020





	Game On

**Author's Note:**

> I love the Dean/Case Reverse Bang. I knew from the second I saw this cool GIF, that I had to write the story that went with it. Thanks to the artist [A_Diamond](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Diamond/pseuds/A_Diamond) for being so amazingly patient and kind, as well as the moderators. 
> 
> Thanks to [Cliophilyra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cliophilyra/pseuds/Cliophilyra), my awesome beta!
> 
> Enjoy!

Sam’s leaning on the wall, just scowling. He’s got a bad case of man-bun today and a judgy attitude. He’s also wearing crocs, which have been the subject of almost every argument for the last two weeks.

“No one wearing those things on their feet has any business judging me, Sam.”

“Stop changing the subject!”

Dean isn’t even looking at his brother anymore. He’s sorting through a ton of ancient looking cords, trying hard to ignore the sneeze that he can feel building. The old dusty cables have a smell that’s almost a taste, sitting on the edge of his tongue. Old rubber. Copper and probably asbestos. 

He plugs one cable into the tv, then the other, slowly figuring out where they all go. “There’s something so satisfying about these old plugs.” 

Sam’s sigh is almost a physical force. “That thing is probably going to catch fire, and then I’ll have to put you out.”

Dean looks up. “It’s not like it’s a hundred years old, Sam. Or is this that weird dream you keep having.”

“It’s… it’s not  _ not _ about that. Look, I haven’t stopped dreaming about that flea market for weeks. Then we found this in the flea market. Something feels off. I really didn’t trust that… that… guy running the stall.” 

Dean snorts. “C’mon, you can say the word. Wizard. That dude was a wizard.”

Sam rolls his eyes. 

Honestly, the console just looks like a GameCube modified to look mysterious and weird. It has plexiglass symbols on the sides, which started to glow as soon as he plugged it in, despite the fact that he hasn’t actually turned it on yet. 

He wouldn’t have bought it at all if he hadn’t spotted that weird game cartridge already inside it. The odd, short guy with the permanent scowl had just moved his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other and tapped the price tag whenever they asked any questions. But really, $7.77 was too great a price to  _ not _ give it a try. 

“I’m not going to just toss it. I bought it. Look, maybe it’ll be lame, but maybe it’ll be fun.  _ Maybe _ it’ll be like that movie with Jack Black.” 

He’s done plugging. Time to make snacks.

Sam follows him into the kitchen, still snippy. “This is not Jumanji, Dean.” 

Dean washes the grimy dust off his hands, and starts getting snacks. “Look, play whatever it is with me. It’ll be fun.”   


“Yeah, okay, but I have to go in like, a half hour. I have a study group.”

Dean grins and heads back to the room he calls the ‘man cave’ and Sam calls the 'media room’. 

Putting all the snacks on the couch, he sits down and presses the power button. It makes an alarming grinding noise for a moment before whirring to life. A pixelated image of a shining symbol slowly appears on the screen. 

Sam’s heavy weight dips the couch cushions as he sits down, almost upsetting the popcorn. He grabs the bowl and takes a handful, chomping and watching the screen. Dean snorts and passes him one of the beer bottles. 

The logo disappears and the game begins with a cutscene. A starry sky above a snowy landscape, done in the same low-fi pixel-art style appears. A figure falls from the sky into the snow, causing it to fly up and cover the screen in white.

Sam squints at it. “What is that?”

“It’s an angel.” Dean says, taking a swig of beer and picking up the controller. 

“What? No. How do you know that--?”

The white screen clears and the next scene appears. An angel lands in a cave, shedding several items as he hits the ground; his wings, halo, sword and a long tan trenchcoat are all flung away. The angel raises his fist and shakes his hand, stomping in a comically angry way. 

He’s cute, the pixel-angel. He has huge blue eyes, messed up dark hair, and a scowl. They’ve put him in a dress shirt and twisted blue tie. Dean likes him already. 

**_Gabriel! Give me back my wings! Or else!_ ** The words appear in a little bubble over the angel’s head as he shakes his fist.

_**Haha! You’ll have to find them, brother! Defeat my maze or stay here forever!** _ These words are in a huge text balloon, which hovers above the angel, and then disappears. 

Then the little angel stands there, waiting. Dean grins. “Well, this is weird. The graphics kind of remind me of Stardew Valley.” 

“The symbol in the beginning is some kind of angelic symbol.” Sam says, taking a swig and settling back into the couch. “I’d bet it was something to do with the archangel Gabriel, seeing as the game mentions his name. We went over some of that stuff in my mythology class last semester.”

Dean snorts. “Nerd.”

Sam laughs, pushing him a little. “Says the guy who dresses up in a tunic and fights with a stick once a month.” 

“Listen,” Dean retorts, “That’s just exercise, and anyway-” 

There’s a sound like someone knocking on glass. Dean trails off and turns back to the tv. The wingless angel is knocking on the inside of the screen and making impatient gestures.  Laughing, Dean picks up the controller, and starts experimenting. He makes the angel guy walk left, then right. He fools with the buttons, making the angel jump, turn around. Seems pretty basic. There’s a small door on the right of the screen, so Dean makes the angel enter it. 

The next scene is a huge cavern with moving platforms. The angel looks up, and Dean can see what he’s looking at: A halo, snagged on a rock outcropping. 

“Yeah,” Sam says, “I’m not sure what this game is, but it seems kind of standard and tame.”

Dean hops up onto the last platform. “It’s the tutorial part. And anyway, the angel guy is cute.” 

Sam rolls his eyes and gets up as his phone alarm goes off. “Gotta go. Have fun with this, I guess. Remember to eat. And like, do some laundry?” 

Dean waves him off, focused on the screen. The little angel reaches the halo, and grabs it, placing it on his head. There’s a bright, animated light, and his tiny eyes glow bright blue. 

The screen cuts away to a stylized title card, like a pixelated silent movie.  **_Castiel, Angel of the Lord, has found his halo! One down, three more to go, but beware - Hell is coming for him!_ **

When the screen comes back, the little… Castiel… is standing in a cavern again. His arms are crossed, like he’s been waiting. 

“Castiel, huh? Cool name. I’m Dean.” Great, now he’s talking to a video game. He really does need to get out more.

He clears his throat. “Okay, Cas, let’s get you your stuff. Bring it on, Hell.” 

Dean moves Castiel along the scrolling cave floor, dodging traps and solving puzzles. Until  _ they _ start appearing. At first they’re cute. Little pixel-devils with horns and tails. He figures out how to punch them, works out the special move where Castiel reaches out and grabs their heads, glowing blue, turning the demons to ash. 

He laughs out loud. “Damn, Cas, that’s amazing.”

The demons don’t stay cute for long. Hellhounds, creepy guys with no eyes in dark suits, and then there’s the boss demon, lounging on a throne. Castiel’s health bar is not doing great, and the special move requires more health to work. 

Dean stops laughing and focuses on keeping his cute Angel of the Lord from getting eaten by hellhounds. Then, just when he thinks he’s won, the boss demon gets up off his throne and the cutscene begins.

Dean could swear that Castiel rolls his tiny eyes as the boss demon pulls out a long silver weapon and waves it at him before lazily turning to kill one of his own devils with it. The small devil glows for a moment and turns to ash. Just like the special power! The boss beckons to Castiel in invitation: come and fight me. 

“Man, I gotta get you that sword, Cas.” Dean marvels. “You’ll kick all the ass.”

The game play starts back up, and Dean pauses the game. Delightfully, it doesn’t just freeze. Huge words that say “GAME OFF” fall onto the floor, and everyone stops what they’re doing. Except, they fidget. The demon seems to be doing his nails with the weapon, and Castiel is rubbing his forehead. 

Right, just a run to the bathroom and a quick call to Charlie. There’s no way he’s going to their D&D game tonight.

When he gets back, the demon boss is gone, and Cas is sitting, leaning against the letters. Dean could swear that the angel’s eyes track him as he walks across the room. 

“Sorry, Cas, I have to go,” he sighs. “Charlie has promised bloody retribution if I don’t come to gaming. I gotta save and come back tomorrow.”

Dean fiddles with the controls. “I don’t.. See how to save. Maybe it saves automatically? I guess I can just start from the beginning tomorrow and figure it out then. Running late.” 

He really needs to stop talking to himself, he thinks as he leans over to press the off button. A movement in the corner of his eye catches his attention and he looks up at the screen. Castiel is standing now, both palms against the glass, shaking his head. He looks frantic, hitting the screen. It makes a small  _ tink _ noise. 

Dean blinks, feeling disoriented for a moment. When he looks at the little sprite angel he’s plainly looking back. His hands are pressed together in supplication now. Freaked out, Dean presses the Off button with the same force Sam uses to kill spiders in their tub.

* * *

Charlie flops onto the couch while ripping open a bag of Twizzlers. “Just how much had you smoked before you started playing this weird game?”

“That. Is not the point, Charlie.” 

Charlie grins and bites off a piece. “Mm hmm.”

Dean sits on the floor facing her. The game console is on the floor between them, he’d decided this was a kind of weirdness that definitely needed to be shared. “It isn’t. It doesn’t make you see things.”

She rolls her eyes and settles in, cross legged. “Okay, fine. So tell me again what happened.”

“The… the angel in the game didn’t want me to turn it off.”

“You also said that it knocked on the inside of the television. I mean, TVs aren’t glass any more, it’s obviously just a cutesy effect the developers thought up. Like the pacing when it was paused.”

“No, I mean… I wasn’t doing anything in the game. I was just like, talking to myself. Saying it was time to go. Then he got all excited, and tried to stop me.” 

“C’mon, you’re saying that it can hear you?”

“He.” Dean considers turning the game on, drumming his fingers on the top of the box restlessly. 

Charlie gestures at him with her candy. “You - are losing it.  _ That _ is basically a cartoon. It doesn’t have a gender.” 

Dean presses the On button. “He. Castiel feels like a ‘He’ to me. Maybe we can ask when this boots up.”

“Angels are sexless in lore, but that’s beside the point, because he’s not real.”

The box boots up, and the game starts from the beginning again. Falling Castiel lands, snow covers the screen, and it’s back to the first scene. 

**_Gabriel! Give me back my wings! Or else!_ ** Says the little word bubble. Castiel isn’t shaking his fist any more, he’s standing, glaring out at the living room with his arms crossed. 

**_Haha! You’ll have to find them, brother! Defeat my maze or -- ah, screw it. Have fun storming the castle. I’m outta here._ ** The text balloon hovers over Cas, and then fades out.

Charlie laughs out loud. “I have to find out who made this game, this is hilarious.” 

Dean frowns, working the controller through the settings and options. “I don’t think this game has a save mode. Also, some of these options are wacko.  _ Happy Ending _ ?”

Charlie snickers. Dean rolls his eyes, going back to the main screen. He does leave that option unchecked, though.

When he comes back, Cas is pacing again. There are four faces above him now, three smiley, one frown. Cas points up to them with a scowl. Then he paces. 

“I think turning the game off used up a life.”

“Are you on super hard mode, or something? That’s brutal.” 

He shakes his head, moving Cas along into the next cavern. “No, there’s no setting like that, unless ‘happy ending’ covers it. Hey, he’s not moving.” 

Castiel glares at them. He kicks the screen. 

“Castiel?” Dean asks, feeling like an idiot. 

The angel spreads his hands, asking what he wants. Dean lets out a short disbelieving laugh. Then he turns to look at Charlie, who has the most delightful expression on her face. 

“See, I tol-” 

“ _ Yes _ . Yes, you did.” 

They’re quiet for a few minutes. Castiel paces around on the screen. 

“So what do you think the faces are about?” 

Charlie chews on a fingernail. “I bet the …”

“Castiel.” 

“R...ight. Castiel. Anyhow, I bet he knows.”

  
“Cas.” Dean sits next to the television. “Knock once for yes, twice for no.” 

Castiel knocks on the inside of the television once. Charlie makes a strangled noise. 

“So, that’s a thing...that he can do. Dean, shut this off.”

Dean waves her off and speaks to Castiel again. “The faces… are they there because I turned off the power?”

_ Knock _

“Are they a countdown? Like a health bar?” 

_ Knock _

Good, okay, that makes sense. “If you get all frown faces, does something bad happen?”

Castiel nods slowly, making only one small knock.

“Dean,” Charlie interrupts. Her voice quavers a little. “Please turn it off.” 

Dean shakes his head and carries on asking questions. “It happened after I turned the game off. So, I definitely should not turn the game off. So is this why there’s no save option?”

_ Knock _

He’s going to have to do the whole game all in one go, or convince Sam not to turn it off, which might be a hard sell. He already thinks that the thing is a waste of ener-

_ Knock knock. Knock knock. KNOCK KNOCK _

Dean looks up, startled. Castiel is knocking now insistently and pointing urgently at something behind Dean. Dean turns around to see Charlie, eyes wide, her hand hovering over the Off button.

“Charlie, no!”

The frantic knocking only seems to upset her more. She presses the button hard. 

* * *

The next day Dean moves the...AngelCube...into his room and attaches it to his small TV. He doesn’t turn it on, though, he just leaves it for a day, and then another day as he lets everything sink in. Fighting with his best friend is draining, and now she won’t even take his calls. 

He’s taking a nap on Friday afternoon. It’s the last sick day he has left, but he needs it. All he can do is think about the game. Sam comes into the room quietly, gently opening the curtains to let the light in. Dean was already mostly awake, but this pulls him firmly out of the fuzzy border between consciousness and dreams. 

“I had a talk with Charlie.”

Dean groans. “Fuck, Sam, I am not insane.”

Sam leans his hip against Dean’s desk. “This whole thing sounds insane, but I dunno. There’s a lot of weird stuff out there; the things we saw when we visited Mom’s family, the fact that I have dreams that come true. So I’m willing to believe there’s a chance you’re not playing the biggest prank ever, but only because of all that stuff, and because I’ve never seen Charlie so rattled.

Dean can’t deny any of it. Sam’s dreams creep him out, but he can’t pretend it isn’t true. “I can hear the words you’re not saying. You want me to stop playing.”

His brother shrugs. “Not just me. I called Bobby.” 

Dean pulls his pillow over his face, muffling a frustrated yell. 

“Just until we figure it out. Bobby has a ton of weird books Dad left him. Maybe there’s something about a haunted video game.”

Dean is quiet for a long time until Sam’s constant prodding makes him give a sarcastic thumbs up from underneath the pillow. 

Long after Sam’s gone, he lies there, looking at the box. Castiel doesn’t seem malicious or evil. He’s kind of cute, for a pixelated dude. He’s an angel, for crying out loud. Angels are the good guys. 

Coming to a decision Dean gets up, locks his bedroom door and settles on the floor to play, his back against the bed. As the game boots up, he ignores the niggling Sam-voice in his head that keeps saying that Lucifer was an angel too.

* * *

Castiel is glaring at him. 

“Look, dude, I’m sorry. I didn’t think Charlie would flip out like that.” 

Dean moves the controller, but Cas seems to be fighting it. Dean sighs. 

“This yes or no knocking has got to go. I wish you knew Morse Code or something.”

Cas doesn’t move, but there’s a series of faint chimes from the TV. Dean blinks, and leans in to listen. 

“Can you make the sound a little sharper? You sound like a wind chime.” 

Cas scowls, but the sound gets sharper. 

“You.. are.. a… wind… chime…” Dean translates the coded reply. He laughs. 

“Dude, what does that even mean?”

Cas just shrugs and starts walking. He only gets a little way down the screen before he’s walking in place. 

Dean picks up the controller. “Huh. It’s like you can walk everywhere I’ve made you go, but you can’t go where you haven’t been yet.” 

Dean navigates Cas back through the jumping puzzles. The level with the demons is re-populated, but this time they seem faster and deadlier. At the end of the fight, Castiel’s exhausted and Dean is sitting up on his knees, rigid with tension. 

“Shit, you gotta fight that big guy now.” Dean chews on his fingernails, listening to Castiel dit-dot-dit in response. 

“His name is Crowley? He looks like a giant tool. I think I have the hang of it now, we can kick his ass."

The fight is difficult, and long. As he mashes buttons, Dean realizes that he’s following Castiel’s lead somehow. He’s still the one making the moves, but it feels more like a team effort. As if Castiel is connected to the controller. 

Castiel is almost good enough to win, but not quite. He’s losing, Dean realizes suddenly. Crowley creates devils out of nothing, and they whittle Cas’ health down. Then, while he’s preoccupied, Crowley sneaks up behind him and takes a slice out of Castiel with the dagger. 

Then it happens. 

They’re down to their last health bar. Crowley isn’t looking well either, but he’s still going to win. Dean, frantically doing his best, wishes desperately that he could do more. There’s a knot deep in his stomach that says that if Cas dies this time, that’s the end. No more restarting. 

“Fuck! How can I help you? Please don’t die, Cas!”

He feels a small electric jolt from the controller. It’s not a lot, but enough to make him yelp. 

Bright shiny letters appear at the top, pulsing and dancing: **HEALTH SACRIFICE! +10 health!**

Castiel’s life meter jumps up and he’s back on his feet. He reaches forward, grabs the knife from Crowley and stabs the demon. There’s a lot of flashing pixels as his eyes blaze, and then he crumples into a pile of squares.

The title card appears again:  **_Castiel, Angel of the Lord has retrieved his Angel Blade from the King of Hell! Two down and two to go!_ **

“Ow, what the …” Dean drops the controller, staring down at his hands and back at the screen. 

“Did you …? Did I help you heal?”

Cas does nothing for a moment before nodding sadly. The morse code chimes spell out -  _ You can do it any time. The more you do it, the closer we get. But it could be -  _ there is a pause, then the chimes start again  _ \- dangerous for you -  _

“Well, it doesn’t seem to have hurt me.” 

Cas makes a so-so gesture and shrugs. 

Moments later the tiredness hits Dean like a truck. He’s so exhausted that he can barely move and it’s all he can do to remember to pause the game. He reaches up and pulls his blanket down onto him, passing out on the floor.

When he wakes up, the sky is just turning a light blue. His head feels like he’d gone toe-to-toe with Ash in a drinking contest last night. He manages to sit up, though he’s stiff and smells a little like that stuff Sam uses to shampoo their carpets. Cas is watching him from the screen. 

“ _ Are you well? _ ” Castiel asks. He’s making the same morse-code noises as before, but Dean knows what he means to say. He feels like he can almost hear him talking now. His imagination is wild though, as if an angel would have such a rumbling growl of a voice. Dean says, “I can hear you, sort of.” 

The morse-noises stop, and Castiel tilts his head. It’s adorable. 

“ _ You didn’t answer my question _ .” 

Dean smiles. “Give me an hour. I have an amazing hangover cure.” 

* * *

Castiel’s coat hangs in the middle of a whirling, crazy puzzle. Every time he gets near it, something changes, and Castiel gets zapped with lightning. They’ve been playing for most of the day, and this damn thing is the end of the level. 

  
Dean is flagging, Cas is sluggish, and it would make sense to just pause a minute, but Dean’s on a roll, and he’s determined to finish the damn thing before the night is up. 

“Take some of my energy again,” he urges, dodging Castiel through this bizarre series of rolling balls made of brightly colored lollipops. 

“ _ Dean, no! I don’t want to hurt you.”  _

“Fuck!” Dean slams his hand on the floor as he overcompensates, and one of the lolli-balls rolls over Cas. The angel sticks to the ball and rolls all the way down to the beginning of the level. 

“Dean?” Sam’s voice is distant but getting closer. “I ordered pizza, and Charlie lent me her Game of Thrones DVDs!”

Swearing, Dean pauses the game. Castiel slumps against the GAME OFF sign. “Sorry, Cas, I have to do this. Stay quiet.” 

He drapes some laundry over the box, and then turns his tv off. “Hey Sam!” he calls out, “One sec!”

Dean sprints off to find his brother. 

* * *

Three hours later, Dean comes back, locks his door, and quietly sits on the floor. When he turns the tv back on, Castiel is lying on the ground, feet up on the letters. 

“ _ You came back.”  _

Dean grins. “You sound like you didn’t think I would. I have to turn the sound all the way off, much as I like that weird soundtrack. Sam’s home.” 

_ “You sound better.”  _

“I am. Turns out that eating and focusing on something else gave me an idea. You need to take some of my energy again.” 

Castiel makes a dissenting noise. 

“Nah, listen. I think you’re supposed to. I don’t think you can win this one without it. I’ll show you. You ready?”

_ “I am now, but when you turn it back on I’ll still be tired.”  _

“I figured. Not for long though.” 

Dean presses the pause button again. The letters change to: GAME ON, sliding up the screen. He starts moving Cas through the puzzles again, whistling. When they get to the top, the giant Lollipop balls appear, rolling down the platforms. Cas dodges each one until he gets to the very top. 

“Okay,” Dean grins, “Now… when I say go, take my energy.” 

He can hear the angel growl, but Dean presses the ‘jump’ button at just the right time, calling out “NOW!”

The controller zaps him. As if Castiel was propelled by a rocket, he launches into the air and grabs the coat. 

The cutscene takes over. Castiel puts the coat on and floats in mid air, surrounded by blue light. 

**_Castiel, Angel of the Lord, proves to be better at making friends than anyone thought! Three down and one to go! But Beware, you will face an opponent far more deadly than any you have faced before!!_ **

Dean snorts. He’s very tired again, but it’s not as bad as before. He feels an odd kind of warmth instead, somewhere in the middle of his being. 

“ _ Are you well?” _ Castiel’s voice is stronger now. 

“Is that your real voice?” Dean presses pause, then closes his eyes. 

“ _ Yes, Dean.”  _ Castiel sounds amused. 

“It’s lovely. Like...sex and whiskey and the sound of the road under tires.” Dean murmurs, he’s drifting off now. He feels warm and safe, as if someone was cradling his head in their lap, stroking his hair. 

  
“ _ You have the soul of a poet. Sleep, Dean. You’ve done so much today, you need your rest.”  _

Dean sleeps. 

* * *

He wakes up on the floor again, in a nest of blankets. He’s not sure he remembers pulling them down, but given that Castiel is sitting and watching him, he knows that Sam didn’t cover him up. 

Groggy, he smiles at the screen. “Did you watch me sleep? I had the weirdest dreams about you, except you weren’t a character in a game.” 

_ “You’re not seeing me at my best.”  _

Dean stands and stretches, his back making popping noises. He sneaks his head out of the door to listen for his brother, and then goes to make coffee. It’s morning, but there is a storm raging outside, which gives the day a sense of timelessness that’s both freaky and cool. Rain pours down the windows and he can hear thunder in the distance. Still, it’s Sunday, it’s not like he needs to go anywhere. If he plays all day, he could finish the game before Bobby and Sam come over to examine the AngelCube. 

He spreads cream cheese on a bagel, as he waits for the life-giving liquid to finish dripping into the pot. It gives him time to really think. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Sam, but there’s something about this game that pulls at him, compelling him to finish it. 

But that, plus the fact that none of the game’s weirdness seems to bothers him at all, is probably enough to ring warning bells for his brother. He knows if he isn’t done soon, Sam is going to take the game. For his own good. 

Dean knows that if that happens, he’ll never stop missing Cas. He’s really grown attached to the tiny animated angel.

He goes back to his room with his food. He smiles at Castiel and as their eyes meet, he feels a jolt go through him that makes him gasp. Cas is watching him, little sparks flying around his head. 

Dean sits and reaches out to the screen but doesn’t touch, his fingertips hovering inches from it. 

“Did you do that?” He isn’t sure why he’s whispering. 

Sprite-Castiel reaches out and touches the inside of the screen. 

“ _ I feel it too, Dean. We’re connected by some kind of bond. Finish this next level, and you will be able to see me.”  _

That’s it. Of course, that’s it. It’s been niggling at him, and he feels stupid. “You’re trapped in the game.” 

There’s a deep, far too intimate chuckle in his ear. Yeah. He has to finish this game. He  _ needs _ to see Castiel in this world, solid. Touchable.  _ Kissable _ , his brain whispers. 

Settling down on the floor with his food, he picks up the controller. At that moment a crack of thunder shakes the windows. Lightning flashes, and the power goes out, leaving him sitting in darkness.

Dean yells in frustration, but there’s nothing he can do. Castiel only has one life left. He isn’t sure what happens after that, but he feels dread, deep in his bones. 

* * *

It’s Tuesday when the electricity finally comes back on. Dean has disconnected the game and hidden it, claiming that he threw it out, much to Bobby’s disappointment. Sam, smelling a rat, doesn’t leave Dean alone until he’s forced to go back to his classes. 

As soon as Sam’s gone Dean calls into work again and sets the game back up in his room. The knot of worry in the pit of his stomach is heavy and getting worse.

The game flickers to life, and starts over. After the intro, Cas, without any of his items, appears, looking defeated. 

Dean breathes a sigh of relief. He smiles at Cas. “Hey. Don’t look like that. I don’t care what I have to do, I’m going to get you out of there.” 

_ “It’s useless. He cheats, you’ll never get me out. You should turn this off and forget me.”  _

Dean scoffs. “As if I could do that now. You’re inside my head.”

“ _ More than that,”  _ Castiel muses, “ _ I think a part of my grace - my power - was exchanged with a piece of your soul when you gave me energy. We truly are a part of each other.”  _

A piece of his soul? 

Dean jerks away from the machine. “You’re taking my soul?!”

Castiel doesn’t say anything in response. The silence is like a shout. 

Nauseous and shaky, Dean hovers his hand over the Off button. Castiel just watches him, shoulders drooping. Dean pauses the game instead. 

_ “ _ The character at the beginning, the one who trapped me here. It’s my brother Gabriel  _ \- “ _

“Your brother, the  _ Archangel  _ Gabriel _. _ ” 

Castiel’s voice is sharp.  _ “Yes.. He loved a mortal. Enough to defy our rules and hide out on earth. There was a massive hunt, but he had hidden himself well. I know my brother though, better than any of the Host. When I found him, he took what remained of his Grace and trapped me here.” _

“But why?”

Castiel throws up his hands. “ _ Something about a princess and a dragon. He is incomprensible.”  _

Dean laughs, the last puzzle falling into place. “Your brother is waiting for you to find true love. Like a princess. He sounds like a twisted fuck, but I think he actually likes you enough to want you to feel the way he does. ” 

There’s a moment of quiet. 

_ "I’m sorry. When I knew what happened, I…” _

“Yeah, you tried to stop me. It’s okay. I know I should feel scared, but I just don’t. All I want to do is see you and touch you. We can talk about this soul thing later, ok?” 

_ “I am yours to command.”  _

“Well, then let’s finish this.” 

Dean picks up the controller.

* * *

All of the levels are even harder, and it’s taking a lot of time. He’s focused on the game to the exclusion of almost everything else, including meals. He locks the door and refuses to answer it, shouting for Sam to leave him alone when he starts knocking.

Sam does not leave him alone.

An hour later, Dean gives Cas extra health to fight Crowley. The zap feels good this time, making him hard and a little dizzy. Sam starts knocking again, and Dean barely hears him, moving on to the next level with glee. 

Another hour after that, Sam picks the lock on the door and comes in just in time to see Dean take the hit again when he gives Cas enough of a boost to get to his coat. 

Dean’s entire body jerks, and he gasps. Then he whoops, punching the air. 

“ _ Maybe you should take a break,”  _ Castiel’s voice trembles a little, deep and husky. “ _ The next one is the last.” _

“What? No. I’m fine.” Dean grins at the angel on the screen and reaches forward to boop it on the nose. 

The floorboards creak, and Dean stiffens. “Sam, you touch that power button, and I will hurt you.”

He means it, down to the bone. He turns to look at Sam, who is staring at him. 

“Dean, you’re having a one-sided conversation with the guy in the video game.” 

Dean glares at him until Sam backs away from the cube, hands in the air. Dean pulls it close, careful not to dislodge the cords. Then he pauses the game. Castiel collapses against the GAME OFF letters. 

He’s hungry, Dean realizes. Hungry, horny, and loopy. Castiel was right after all. He needs a minute to chill. “Sam. Let’s make grilled cheese. Cas, you okay?” 

“ _ As long as there’s not a storm out there, yes. Eat. Make peace with your brother.” _

Dean nods, standing and stretching. Sam allows him to push him out of the room, with a narrow-eyed gaze at the game. 

Grilled cheese, soup, and coffee will solve all these problems, Dean muses. At least, the ones involving Sam.

* * *

Sam, it turns out, is unable to get past Dean’s sudden obsession with a video game character. However he agrees that he will, stop bothering Dean - for now - if he’s allowed to sit and watch the last level. 

Dean doesn’t have the strength to argue. He figures though, that if Sam can pretend his brother isn’t literally sporting a constant boner for a video game, he can accommodate him.

There’s an urgency building up inside him, making him antsy. He’s got to get this done before something happens to the Cube. He has to see Castiel in person. He wants to see how blue those eyes really are. He wants to hear that voice out loud. And he wants to know he isn’t crazy, that this is all really real.

So he and Sam sit down together for the final level. 

GAME ON. 

The letters float away, and Cas stands, ready. Dean picks up the controller, and Cas starts moving. 

* * *

“What the fuck are those?!” Unable to help, Sam’s hands are clenched into fists, which he occasionally bites in frustration. 

Drenched in sweat, Dean grates out, “He says they’re called Leviathans.” 

On the screen, Castiel is flinging pieces of candy at little men in suits. Their heads turn into one giant mouth, grabbing at each piece and devouring it. The angel is drenched in blood, and Dean’s already given him some of his health, at least twice. He’s so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. 

He’s exhausted, Castiel is on his last legs, and Dean’s not sure either of them have what they need to get to the finish line. 

The head Leviathan is wearing Castiel’s wings, and Dean knows this boss fight is probably impossible.

“Okay,” Sam leans in. “I know what to do.” 

Dean looks around in surprise, he’s about to tell his brother to butt out but then he stops. He can’t understand this level any more, all he’s doing is treading water, waiting for the inevitable. 

“Fuck, yes. Tell me what to do,” he says finally. 

Leave it to Sam to find the pattern. Dean beans the Leviathans with licorice, stunning them. Then uses them as step stools to jump up to the head Leviathan. 

**_Bravo, Castiel! Bravo, Dean Winchester! Defeat Roman, and maybe this angel can get his wings!_ **

“I’d give good money, if he’d shut up,” Dean mutters.

Sam laughs. “Not too tired to quote Star Trek. Let’s do it again. You control Cas, I’ll look for weaknesses.” 

Dean feels a surge of affection for his little brother. “Fuck, yes.” 

“ _ Thank him for me.”  _

“You got it, sweetheart,” he says, then freezes. Sam raises an eyebrow. 

“ _ Sweetheart? Call me that to my face, Dean Winchester.”  _

Dean can’t stop the goofy grin from creeping over his face, and he shrugs at Sam. “What can I say, he’s hot.” 

Sam shakes his head. “He’s a cartoon, Dean. Focus.”

Dean focuses.

The new level is full of bubbles. Various bubbles of different colors. Castiel is able to jump from one to another. Some of them stick like gum and some leave Cas suddenly shiny, Dean thinks these are soap bubbles. 

The final boss - Roman - is tough, he rips at pieces of Castiel with his huge, pointed teeth. Every pixel he tears off is permanent, ripping his coat, his halo, whittling Cas down to almost nothing. Panic sets in again, Dean's pulse is racing, his sweaty hands making it hard to hold the controller.

Then Sam discovers that the soap bubbles hurt Roman, and the tide begins to turn. It’s Dean who figures out how to have Castiel pick them up and throw them. 

Roman is down to his last health. He tears Cas’ wings off and brandishes them at him, opening his huge mouth wide, teeth flashing.

Castiel makes a wretched sound of grief that echoes through Dean’s head. 

“Cas, take it. C’mon, like the other level. Take the power from me and go get your wings!” 

“ _ I’ll hurt you! You’ve already given me so much, too much. Just let me go!” _

“Castiel, please. It’s ok. You can do it. I’m tough, I can take it.” 

For a moment, Dean thinks he’s not going to do it. Then an enormous jolt from the controller makes him scream in pain, his hands spasm and his grip loosens. 

He can’t grip the controller, he can’t control Cas, they’re gonna lose. Sam grabs at it, dragging it towards him, letting Dean just cling on while he works the joystick. With the boost from Dean’s energy, Cas shoots up and slams a soap bubble right over Roman’s head.

Castiel takes his wings back triumphantly. Dean’s shaking too hard, he drops the controller, but it’s all cut scene now anyway. Cas turns in a circle, glowing brighter and brighter until the entire screen is filled with brilliant white. The console itself is glowing and pulsing, the sigils on its sides seem to twist for a moment before bursting open, light streaming from the cracks. The cube explodes in a shower of sparks, and Dean passes out in Sam’s arms. 

_ “Dean,”  _ The voice is familiar. It sounds like sunny days, the heat shimmering off a long road. It’s rock and roll and a road trip that never ends. “ _ Sweetheart, come back to me.”  _

Dean opens his eyes. He’s on his bed, and the bluest eyes he’s ever seen are looking down at him. 

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel says, with a smile.

  
  
  



End file.
